Borderline
by momorona
Summary: The door rippled again, angrily this time. Mukuro stole one last kiss from the blond before he was shoved through the door and disappeared. The door blinked into oblivion. D69
1. prologue: run

-_**Run**_-

A mechanical, keening shriek ripped through the night, alerting the city to trouble. Sirens screamed and searchlights panned the already illuminated cityscape. Electronic signs flickered from traffic information and advertisements to a public service announcement:

_**JAILBREAK! We implore you to stay indoors. If you see the prisoner, call for police assistance at once!**_

Following the scrolling warning in yellow LED lights, a picture of a tall, lean man with long navy hair and heterochromatic eyes filled the screens. Orange prison garb clashed with the man's pallor and dark hair. The identification placard read **Prisoner #6917762, Rokudo Mukuro**.

The jailbreak had been a mystery. Prisoner #6917762 had been in an isolation tank, with around the clock surveillance and a team of scientists monitoring vitals. Unfortunately, fluctuations in the magic field had a tendency to play with even the most state-of-the-art facilities. That's what security chalked it up to. Regardless of the why or how, there was a jailbreak and they needed to find and contain this criminal.

Rokudo Mukuro was a wicked manipulator, a siren of the deep, who preyed on wealthy, attractive men to convince them to break their arranged engagements. Breaking a betrothal was a cardinal sin in Pollux, therefore not to be taken lightly. Very few could resist his siren's song. It was no surprise, then, when Dino Cavallone had fallen victim to him. The inspectors responsible for picking Mukuro up had patted the blonde on the head and apologized for not catching Mukuro sooner, leaving Dino ratherconfused. Dino was the one who had offered to take Mukuro to dinner, as a thank you for assisting with a particularly difficult business negotiation. Things had escalated, sure, but Dino had been the initial instigator, expressing to Mukuro his interest, then letting him lead the game. Everything was entirely consensual.

Mukuro, as well, had been confused. Sure, he was a flirt (and a bad one at that), with his habits usually resulting in flushed giggles or slaps to the face, but never criminal charges. Dino had tilted his head at him with a cocked eyebrow. Mukuro had just shrugged. He probably would have been flippant about it even if he had known just how much trouble he had gotten them into. So that was how Mukuro had gotten in trouble _this _time. A crime of affection, though the two paramours had been so caught up in each other that they had forgotten their precarious situation.

Which led the current situation of cacophonous alarms, roving searchlights, and emergency PSAs.

Dino pulled Mukuro into a tight back-alley as one of the lights glanced over where they'd just been. His heart pounded in his chest, _thud-thud, thud-thud_. Mukuro laughed breathlessly, pressed close to his criminal-in-love. Adrenaline coursed through their veins, the life that gave to their survival. Dino had to laugh, too, if only because Mukuro did, and the man's emotions were contagious. This was absurd to the point of hilarity, though. All this uproar and fanfare over one little "homewrecker" who's first and only offense was choosing Dino.

An officer brushed by their hidden alley. Dino tensed, lifting a hand to bite his thumb. Mukuro grabbed his hand and shook his head. Blood magic would do no good here. The atmospheric fluctuation would alert the pursuers to their presence. Any novice knew that. Dino would be an idiot to even try. The blonde relaxed, glancing at Mukuro. He shrugged in response to the condescending look in heterochromatic eyes. It didn't hurt to be cautious, right? But it did to be careless. Mukuro rolled his eyes as he was tugged through the alley and up a fire escape.

Dino eased a grimy window open and slipped inside, pulling Mukuro in after. Thank the stars for bad parts of town – easy to hide and maneuver without my suspicion. They stole through the dilapidated apartment complex, one of many that the Housing Improvement Bureau's had been promising for years to bring up to housing code. For now, they were glad for the HIB's procrastination. The tenants here were all criminals or degenerates, and no one was hard pressed for any structural improvements. That would be too much exposure to the shady residents of this block of town. Both Mukuro and Dino exploited that tonight.

Slinking through dingy hallways, they stayed as close as possible without tripping over each other. Getting separated here would end in disaster. At least here, though, they were safe from searchlights. The tenants, too, were inclined to mind their own business. Anyone slinking about with sirens baying wasn't meant to be trifled with. They flew up several flights of stairs and crossed through windows, over alleys, using the squalid housing as their cover. As they passed a hole in a wall, a protruding pipe caught the chains connecting Mukuro's ankles and jerked them both back onto the floor. Dino landed into Mukuro's chest, wheezing. He forgot about the chains. What kind of moron puts chains on the ankles of someone in a straightjacket suspended in a liquid isolation tank?

Mukuro laughed again. Of course it would be their luck to tumble while trying to escape. Dino pushed himself up and eyed Mukuro. He sighed in exasperation at the laughter, smiling himself. The blonde shook his head and looked around, in hopes of finding something to break the chain or unlocking the shackles. Nothing in the hallway, but a door was wide open, revealing a sickly looking teen reclined sluggishly, a needle in hand. Dino pursed his lips in distaste, but got up and took the needle anyways, breaking it from the syringe. The kid was too far gone to notice. Grabbing that, and a set of clean-ish, dark clothes, the blonde returned to Mukuro.

Mukuro eyed the needle warily, but Dino just shrugged and knelt down, picking the lock on the shackles. Mukuro leaned forward, rubbing his ankles, relieved at their disappearance. Dino smiled and pressed a kiss to Mukuro's forehead. They didn't have much time, though. Dino nudged Mukuro to his feet and pulled the orange jumpsuit off him. The prison escapee arched a brow at Dino's careless undressing of him. Dino rolled his eyes and shoved the dark (stolen) clothes at him. Mukuro chuckled and re-dressed without complaint. He also swiped a pair of socks and shoes that were a little big. They didn't have the luxury to search for clothes that fit properly.

Light flickered through a window and filtered through the hallway. The race was on again. The two took off down the corridor, through another window and into the next building. Dino led him through another hallway, out another window, and down another fire escape. They hurtled through the remaining alleys and cleared the city's imposing wall, slipping through a fracture just for them.

Outside the wall, wilderness ran rampant. Nature provided them with untamed cover. They dashed through the ancient wood, short of breath and exhilarated by their crimes. Branches reached out and scratched their cheek skin, tore their clothes, a simple and expected punishment for bringing the corruption of Pollux's capital after them. Sirens continued to wail from the city behind them and spotlights sliced the darkness that was their ally, marking the urgency of their situation. Dino grasped Mukuro's hand tightly, as if it were his lifeline, as they stole through the wilds. They flit over the ground like air, adrenaline surging them on. Hounds howled at their heels.

Not soon enough, but not too late either, they broke through a thicket and stumbled into a small clearing. The moon ducked behind cloud cover, obscuring their sanctum. At least something was on their side tonight.

"Dino, _what _are you doing?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Don't answer a question with a question." Mukuro narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "You know I do."

"Then wait. You'll see soon." Dino hummed, biting down on his thumb and drawing elaborate door sigils with the resulting blood. The air shimmered with heat.

"...You're opening a door to Castor?" Mukuro looked affronted. "You're sending me away."

"For now." Dino offered a smile. "I promise I'll join you. I just have to take care of the Vendicare hellhounds on your trail. After that, I _swear _to you, Mukuro, I will not leave you. No matter how long it takes, I _will _follow you. You have to hurry, though. I can't keep the door open for long."

Mukuro hesitated. One one hand, Dino was right. Castor was far out of Vendicare's jurisdiction. He would be safe there, and Dino always kept his word, which meant he'd follow soon. On the other, he didn't know how soon was _soon_. And he'd be leaving Dino alone to the Vendicare.

"Go, Mukuro, I'll be fine." Dino smiled, leaning down and pressing his forehead to Mukuro's. "And _you _won't be alone. Alaude and Kyoya are waiting for you."

Mukuro snorted at that. Dino played dirty, if he managed to get those two to cooperate. The door to Castor rippled impatiently.

"_Go_."

Mukuro hesitated again, eying the door warily. It rippled again. Dino sighed, grabbing Mukuro's chin and forcing him to look at him. "We don't have time. You _have _to hurry, or we'll have to wait a month."

Mukuro grunted, turning his head away. Dino sighed, and rubbed his temple. Mukuro, now was _not _the time to be stubborn. The blonde smiled and pressed a kiss to Mukuro's lips. He dropped a heavy chain over Mukuro's head, the weight foreign and comforting on his shoulders as a ring _plinked _against his chest.

"Go, Mukuro. You have to go. I'll join you soon, I promise."

The door rippled again, angrily this time. Mukuro stole one last kiss from the blonde before he was shoved through the door and disappeared. The door blinked into oblivion.

* * *

**A/N**

I'm probably biting off more than I can chew, writing two multi-chapter stories at the same time, but... D69 is a not-so-secret weakness of mine, and I can't seem to find enough fanfics for the pairing, so I figured I'd write my own. And, well, I guess if I don't have inspiration for Tethered, I could always work on this fic, and vice versa. I'll try not to let them get inactive for months at a time, though! If you feel you're waiting too long for me to do something, feel free to shoot me a message!

Anyway, this project was very loosely inspired by the _**Ringing **_creepypasta that's been floating around on tumblr. I hope you enjoy!


	2. down the rabbit hole

-_**down the rabbit hole**_-

_The door rippled again, angrily this time. Mukuro stole one last kiss from the blonde before he was shoved through the door and disappeared. The door blinked into oblivion._

And not a moment too soon. Hounds growled at his feet and spotlights seared the darkness, blinding the blonde. He started laughing as he ran a hand through his hair. The sound was raw, like he hadn't laughed in years and it clawed to get out. He won. He successfully broke into the Vendicare Prison and got Mukuro out. He successfully sent Mukuro safely to Castor. He could join him soon, he just...

Had to deal with these grunts first. Unfortunately, he couldn't outrun them and there were too many to fight.

Mukuro was in Castor, and Dino was already caught, so there was no one preventing him from using any more blood magic. Not that he had much choice at this point. The blonde smirked at the Vindice, Vendicare's hellhounds.

Dino bit down onto his thumb again, drawing more blood. He drew a line in the air that twisted and took physical shape. He gripped the handle of the blood-whip and lashed it at one of the Vindice hounds, though not close enough to actually touch. Let's not add assault to our list of charges. The recoil made him grin, though. He snapped the whip against the ground, magic vibrating in the air and kicking up a cloud of earth.

He hated to do this, but… He had little choice. He brought his bloodied hand to his face and smeared the vital crimson on his skin, glamour shimmering over his body. When the cloud settled, the hounds would see – and smell – the drugged up delinquent that Dino had taken the needle from to unlock Mukuro's shackles earlier. Dino hated to do it, but he would do _anything _if it meant saving, and being with, Mukuro. The blonde drew more blood, preparing a disappearing act for when the dust settled. He would return home, report to his brother; deal with the wounds from blood magic, but first…

There. Dino smiled at the hounds, a perfect mug shot for a face that wasn't his. He waved at them before drawing the sigil for his disappearing act.

-x-

Dino collapsed into his desk chair, tying his hand to stymy the blood flow from his use of magic. The blood wasn't the problem so much as the magic was; a door to Castor, a whip, glamour, and disappearing all in the span of an hour took its toll. Not to mention Dino's disappearing act took him back to where he'd found that drug-addled teen. If the Vindice traced the magic, it would lead them to that place of squalor. Dino had walked from there to home, keeping to the shadows to avoid security cameras.

The blonde sighed heavily. He'd have to report to Luca and Daemon about his success. And he'd have to give Daemon his payment. He really wasn't looking forward to doing either. He just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. The door to Castor alone took a lot of energy out of him. But, he had to at least tell Luca he was home. His brother would worry, especially since he knew what Dino had been up to. It was nigh impossible to lie to the raven haired man.

Luckily for him, he didn't have to get up and go hunt Luca down. Three knocks on the door and it opened, revealing the very man Dino had just been thinking of. Luca Cavallone, current head of their multimillion dollar pharmaceutical company, stood in the blonde's doorway. Dino hummed in appreciation that he didn't have to drag himself through the manor.

"Luca, come in." Dino offered his older brother a tired smile. "You managed to escape that harpy. I'm impressed."

Luca cringed at the mention of his wife – wife only in title and legal binding. The woman was a nightmare, a wailing banshee that had her claws in Luca's wallet. "What a pleasant greeting, Dino. But you know I'm not here to put up with your needling."

"Yeah, yeah." Dino yawned. "Inspectors will probably be here tomorrow."

"So you failed."

"No. I succeeded, thank you very much. Mukuro's safe in Castor with Alaude and Kyoya." The blonde puffed his cheeks at his brother. "The inspectors will probably be here asking if I've seen him, or if I know who someone is. They saw my face when I sent Mukuro to Castor, so I used glamour and gave them someone else's face."

"…In other words you were careless." Luca sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "A door to Castor is one thing, but… "

"It's fine, isn't it?" Dino shrugged, dabbing up blood from his hand. "He's safe, and I can follow after him later, once the Vendicare's hellhounds give up."

The older brother sighed again and ran a hand through messy raven hair. "You had confrontation with the Vindice. Are you an idiot?"

Another shrug. "Maybe. But you are, too, for helping me."

"Hey." Luca flicked Dino in the forehead. "All I did was give you Daemon's number."

"Yes, you did. Which makes me wonder, why do you have that~?" Dino smirked at his brother. "You're a married man, yet you keep an old flame's number around. Tell me, does Caprice the Harpy know about that?"

"No, and she won't unless you tell her." Luca narrowed saffron eyes at Dino. For someone who looked innocent half the time, Dino sure did play dirty. "Besides, I keep the number for purely business purposes."

"Sure you do." Dino just smiled. "So, help me with these cuts?"

"…Only because you're my idiot brother." Luca sighed, opening the first aid kit that he had the foresight to bring. He cleaned the bite marks and sealed the wounds. Best not to use magic, if it wasn't necessary. "Seriously, though, what did you do?"

"Well…" Dino scratched his cheek with his free hand. "There was a lot of running involved. Slipping through the wall, getting cut up by the trees… The door to Castor, of course, a blood whip, glamour, and a disappearing act."

"I'm amazed you even made it back here on your feet."

Dino shrugged his response. He yawned again and stretched when Luca was finished with his hand. Luca practically shoved his brother into bed and threw the blanket over him. Dino was out before his head even hit the pillow. Blood magic takes its toll, especially when opening doors.

-x-

Mukuro tumbled out of the door, landing unceremoniously in a wooded part of Castor. He made a mental note to get Dino back for shoving him.

Wait.

…Dino?

… _Who was Dino_? And why did the name ring so familiar with him?

"You're late, Rokudo Mukuro."

Mukuro sat up, rubbing his face – grass wasn't nearly as soft as one would expect it to be. "I don't recall making a previous engagement with you."

The one who spoke looked up toward the blonde he was with. "I'm not dealing with him. It's hardly our responsibility if _haneuma _forgot that Castor's door requires at least a pair."

The blonde rolled his eyes, nodding toward the ring hanging around Mukuro's neck. "Cavallone didn't forget. He just lacked the knowledge that a ring wasn't a suitable replacement for him."

Mukuro pursed his lips. Who were these strangers conversing around him – about him – like they've known him for years? They felt vaguely familiar, too. Not as striking as the name Dino, but… Had he met these people before?

"You're too lenient on them, Alaude." Narrowed eyes and a tense frame.

"And you still have a child's mentality, Kyoya." Alaude was relaxed, rather blank-faced, like he didn't care that Kyoya was bristling beside him. The blonde turned his attention back to Mukuro. "Your memory will come back eventually. Just hope it returns before Dino comes to Castor."

That name again. Why? "Dino?"

Kyoya scoffed, turning to walk away. "Sawada Tsunayoshi's waiting. He'll whine if we take too long."

Alaude rolled his eyes, pushing off from the tree he had been leaning on. "Come. Sawada has already set up your living arrangements."

"Hurry up." Kyoya was an impatient brat sometimes.

…Was he supposed to know who these people were? Was he supposed to know who this _Sawada _was? Mukuro pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off while checking to make sure all his body parts were in proper order. After that, he followed after the two bickering skylarks, spurred on by his curiosity. Or so he told himself.

**A/N**:

Moving along slowly but surely. I hope this isn't too boring. C:

As always, your reviews, follows, favorites, etc. make my day.


	3. settling in

-_**settling in**_-

"Sawada" was apparently the name of a mousy brunette florist. Said florist seemed to be caught between both the blonde and raven haired brutes. It also seemed like the mousy brunette _didn't_ _mind_ it in the least. Not that Mukuro really cared all that much. The information was intriguing, though.

"You must be Mukuro," 'Sawada' greeted, smiling far too brightly to be human. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's a pleasure to meet you, finally. Alaude... Speaks volumes about you and your brother. He doesn't look it, but he's rather vocal, isn't he?"

Tsunayoshi smiled nervously, realizing that he'd probably said too much. Mukuro arched an eyebrow. So he was supposed to know Alaude, at the very least.

"Sawada." Alaude eyed the brunette disapprovingly. "I shouldn't have to remind you that Rokudo Mukuro lost his memory from falling through the door. Take care with what you disclose."

"Oh! Right, sorry!" Tsuna waved his hands, placating. "Please, Mukuro, disregard what I've said. I, uh. I was just assigned to set up the apartment for you. I hope it's to your liking."

Mukuro waved his hand, chuckling, an eerie _fufufu_. Tsuna fidgeted nervously. Mukuro would have thought it cute, if not for the nagging reminder that someone, somewhere, meant everything to him. And perhaps Alaude's and Kyoya's glares had been a kind of warning, too.

"I'm sure it'll be just fine, Tsunayoshi." Mukuro looked toward the unimposing apartment, his expression bland.

"It looks much better on the inside, I assure you!" Tsunayoshi floundered, taking Mukuro's expression to be judgmental. Tsuna knew he was no interior designer; he was just a florist. But still, Alaude and Hibari had… Asked him to set up the apartment for a newcomer. Sort of.

More like told him to do it. He did, at least, get some paid compensation for the work. Mukuro offered a smile – a creepy, smirk-y kind of expression.

"I'm sure it does."

Tsuna shivered, sufficiently creeped out. "I'll, uh. Show you inside."

The brunette smiled, regaining his confidence slowly, and led Mukuro inside the building and up a flight of stairs to the unit which he'd prepared for the amnesiac's arrival.

-x-

The apartment was pretty small, fit for one person. The kitchen was boxed in, but the counter behind the sink gave way to a bar-type fixture, which proceeded to open up into the living area. The living area had a coffee table, one two-seater couch, and a matching armchair catty-corner to it. There was also a TV, positioned so that it could be viewed from either couch or armchair. The living area had a door that led to the private balcony. Through the kitchenette was a laundry room. Across from that, back through the kitchen, a door led to the single bedroom. The bedroom had a connected bathroom.

All in all, despite its compact size, it was a versatile, homey space. Mukuro was mildly impressed that Tsuna had done this on his own. Here and there, little touches were added. Sprigs of mayflower were in a glass on the dinette table. _Welcome_. A cluster of forget-me-nots had invaded the coffee table in the living area. _True love_. Florist, indeed. The forget-me-nots were accompanied by a card bearing Dino's elegant signature. There was that name again. Who _was _Dino, and why was he paying Tsunayoshi to leave forget-me-nots in Mukuro's new apartment?

Tsuna's voice cut into Mukuro's thoughts. "It's not much, but… I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"Us?" Mukuro turned to Tsuna, tilting his head.

"Yeah." The brunette blinked. "Alaude, Hibari-san, and I are on the top floor—"

"All of you? Together?"

"We're in different apartments, though the entire floor is ours." Tsuna pursed his lips, trying to look affronted, but it looked more like a pout to Mukuro. "I was responsible for setting them up here in Castor, too. The bottom floor is my shop, though. And Alaude has turned one of the top floor apartments into a private office. But I'm sure this is all really boring, so…"

Tsuna waved his hand dismissively, smiling. "Forgive me, I tend to ramble. Anyway, there's already some food in the kitchen – I took the liberty of getting regular staples, since I wasn't sure what you liked, and you should be set for at least a week?"

"How kind of you, Tsunayoshi. Did you do this for the other two?" Mukuro smirked at the mousy brunette, amused.

Tsuna practically squawked, his cheeks heating up. "Uh. N-no, actually… Dino-san hadn't told me they were coming, so they… Were stuck in my apartment until everything finally fell into place…"

Mukuro snickered. He didn't know the two skylarks that Tsuna seemed so fond of, but still. That had to have been a trying experience. "You, Tsunayoshi, have the patience of a saint, dealing with those two."

"… You know what they're like?" Tsuna tilted his head. "…Do you remember them?"

"A few minutes with them was enough to gauge their character. No, I don't remember." Mukuro shook his head. "Thank you, by the way. For the apartment."

"Oh, it's no trouble, really. It's just us here – you, me, Alaude, and Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled. "We're… Slowly but surely fixing the building. The second floor is in the worst condition, but we're on the third right now, and the fourth is where I am, with the other two."

Ah, so the building was a fixer-upper. That would explain why Tsuna hadn't asked for any money and was able to afford the place. And why no one else was here.

"Oh!" Tsuna practically jumped, almost startled. "That reminds me, the phone is hooked up, and there's already a series of numbers with places within walking distance that are hiring. The paper with the numbers, businesses, and job descriptions is on fridge. Rent is cheap, but still, a job is kind of necessary."

"Ah? Thank you." Mukuro arched an eyebrow. The brunette was pretty efficient.

"Anyway, I'll go now." Tsuna headed for the door. "I hope you enjoy it here – in Castor, I mean. It's sort of a one-way trip. And I'm sure Dino-san will join you soon."

Mukuro sighed at the familiar pang of something lost at the sound of Dino's name. This was frustrating – who was Dino and why was his name so familiar? "Tsunayoshi."

The brunette paused at the door, turning at the sound of his name, "Yes?"

"… Who is Dino?"

"I'm sorry, Mukuro, I'm not allowed to say." Tsuna smiled apologetically, opening the door. "I'm in unit 405, if you need anything – Alaude is in 408 and Hibari-san is in 401, if you need them for something. Oh, and it does get a little spooky here at night. I suggest getting a pet."

Mukuro rolled his eyes and chuckled, storing the information away. He watched as Tsuna disappeared from apartment 309.

**A/N:**

Well, here we go! We're headed off to a good start, I think! Apologies for the length, it is a bit shorter than the last two.

As always, thank you for your support~. It means the world to me.


	4. inquiry

-_**inquiry**_-

"Have you seen this man, sir?"

Dino took the photograph from the police investigator, studying it. He ran his fingers over the familiar face longingly. The image was unjust – a poorly lit mug shot of a man with blue hair and heterochromatic eyes. Pale skin and malnourished frame, this picture was clearly taken after a lengthy, probably inhumane, processing system. Dino sighed, handing the photograph back.

"Not since you took him from me, no." The blond eyed the investigator distastefully.

The investigator sighed heavily. He didn't take the photo, didn't even acknowledge that Dino had held it out for him to take. "Look, you have my sympathy – it's hard to love someone and find out they were using you. I get it. But we need to catch this man, he's a dangerous criminal."

The blond resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What complete and utter bullshit. He wasn't being used and neither was he the one using. It was a mutual interest, for God's sake. Not to mention Mukuro was fairly harmless – if a little odd, sometimes to the point of creepy.

"Tell me, how did he escape?"

"Some kind of blink in our security – probably an overflow of magic. It's rare, but not unheard of. Just be on the lookout for him. Call us if he seeks you out." The investigator tipped his hat. "Believe me; we're more than a little ashamed about it."

Dino nodded. "I see. Well, in that case, best of luck to you. Though I should probably tell you, you won't find him. Not unless he wants to be found."

"Oh? And how do you know that?" The investigator reached for his handcuffs, preparing to arrest the blond for aiding and abetting a criminal.

The blond rolled his eyes, unable to resist the urge this time. "I came quite close to eloping with him, _officer_. Despite all your claims to his usage of me and his 'siren song', I _did _love him – still do. I'm probably the only person aside from his brother who knows him well. Like I said, you won't find him unless he wants to be found."

"… Well, thank you for your help, Sir." The investigator sighed and tipped his head again. "Thank you for your time."

"Uh-huh." Dino rested his hand on the door, poised to close it.

"Oh, one more thing, sir," the investigator placed his foot in the threshold, just in case Dino did decide to close the door. "Those bandages look pretty serious. Were you using blood magic recently?"

"Hmm, it's not illegal to practice. Generally unadvised, though, given the toll." Dino hummed the affirmative, shrugging. "But I wasn't the only one. My brother and I were sparring. As you can see, I thoroughly got my ass handed to me."

"…Well, thanks anyway." The investigator sighed and left the Cavallone estate. Dino shut the door with a little more force than he'd intended, a sour expression on his face as he retreated back inside.

He tossed the mug shot onto the table near the door that was home to the key bowl. The photo stuck between the bowl and the table, innocent and unassuming. Dino ignored it. Luca would find the mug shot later, probably laugh at the horrible representation of the so-called siren, and deal with it accordingly.

The photo really didn't do his lover justice. It was a piss poor imitation, and Dino really didn't want to look at it any longer. Besides, he had plenty of photos of the bluette stashed away. … Some of them weren't exactly of… Innocent nature.

The blond chuckled to himself at the thought as he traipsed upstairs to his wing of the building. He had business to take care of, and the other end of his business tended to get impatient. Entering his bedroom, he pulled his shirt off and perused his closet for something a bit more suited to going out. Dark jeans, a loose button up shirt, and his sneakers should do the trick for what he had in mind today. He pulled on a tie, too, just in case.

When he was ready, he left the house.

It was about four in the morning when Mukuro had an epiphany. One that made him feel pretty ridiculous for brushing it off for a week. He made a mental note not to brush off any more of a certain brunet's suggestions without much thought.

Tsunayoshi had been right. He had been so infuriatingly right that Mukuro regretted not listening to him. The building was horrendously eerie during the long, dark hours of the night. The shadows were deep. Stepping in one didn't guarantee a solid ground. There was always a chance he'd plummet back into a Hell he couldn't name, couldn't describe. Mukuro curled up on the couch in the quaint living room he now called his own, cup of piping hot tea in hand. Laughably embarrassing infomercials droned from the TV in an attempt to fill the silence of the apartment with some kind of reassuring noise. The noise also helped to block out the irritating ringing in his ears that had helped wake him up, in conjunction with a nightmare he couldn't recall. The TV was an irritating comfort.

Occasionally, he _felt _the shadows of his apartment move. Perhaps he would heed the brunet's words and invest in some kind of animal companion. Something small, though, and fairly self-sufficient, would probably be best. If he had to work full time for the rent on the apartment, he wouldn't have time for a high-maintenance animal.

Mukuro was jarred from his thoughts when he thought he saw a shadow slide across the wall. He was still, tense. His knuckles were white from the tension with which he was holding his cup of tea. Heterochromatic eyes warily watched the wall. A shadow moved again, but it was just that of a tree outside dancing with the wind. Mukuro's frame relaxed and he sighed, placing the cup on the coffee table. _Just the wind, just the trees. _

_There is nothing to be anxious over. _

Then why? Why did Mukuro feel a cold terror in his bones when shadows moved? Why did his body feel like lead when his ears started to ring? A hand went up and grasped the ring hanging innocently around his neck. The metal was cold, but he could tell there was warmth there. He knew it wasn't his – the name inscribed inside the band made that obvious. The name didn't even belong to the enigmatic _Dino _he couldn't put a face to. It posed him another question: _Who was Giulia? _

But the ring was the only thing he'd had on him aside from the clothes on his back, when he got here in what was apparently called Castor. Besides, he supposed he could always ask the faceless Dino when the time came. Tsunayoshi kept assuring him that everything would work out and Dino would make it to Castor soon. That everything would soon be back to normal.

Whatever normal was.

Mukuro sighed heavily, closing his eyes and reclining into his couch. The ringing had started up again, but he'd given up on covering his ears. It never helped. So he simply resigned himself to listening and hoping it would go away soon.

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the faintest sound mixed in with the ringing, a sound that was little more than a whisper:

_Mukuro_.

* * *

**A/N**

jfc wow I'm sorry this took as long as I did;; I tried to write this chapter like 4 times and then remembered I had something written and panicked when I thought I lost/misplaced/dreamed an entire half-a-chapter. For a moment I thought I'd gone crazy.


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